Building apprentices
limited by college cutsBudget restrictions trim class
offerings at community colleges
Honolulu Community College will not have the money to train student apprentices to fill jobs for an anticipated building boom in the next few years, says Chancellor Ramsey Pedersen.
Because of budget restrictions or cuts, Pedersen said, he has to find $140,000 to avoid cutting back the program that has 2,100 registered apprentices this fall, an increase of 1,000 in three years.
"This is a very serious work-force issue," he said, noting he has been talking to the state Labor Department and getting the construction industry together to talk to Gov. Linda Lingle about the apprentice programs. "Something the state has to realize is that it is not business as usual if we want to expand the economy."
Pedersen said some people believe Hawaii is headed into the largest construction year in its history, fueled by federal contracts. But the greater problem is "expansion without money" because of increasing demands for apprentices, he said.
This gap is one repercussion from Lingle's spending restrictions or cuts, and collective-bargaining contracts at the community colleges.
The University of Hawaii figures its budget restriction at $10 million for fiscal 2004 based on the state's projected revenue shortfall of $152 million, said Sam Callejo, UH chief of staff. Its restriction for fiscal 2003 was $3.3 million.
Officials are hoping the Council on Revenues will report improved economic conditions. The council met yesterday and reported there may be an extra $35 million coming into state coffers, but Gov. Linda Lingle's administration has not yet assessed the report.
Community college chancellors face the prospect of cutting hundreds of classes in the spring while student enrollment is climbing.
"What I'm afraid of is, a lot of students we brought in won't have seats in classes next semester," said Carol Pang, Windward Community College dean of instruction.
David McClain, UH vice president for academic affairs, said the community colleges cannot expect much more in state funding. "We have to think on our own and with stakeholders how we will fill the financing gap."
Community college officials say they are looking for innovative ways to teach more classes with less money or expand class sizes with faculty agreement. They are trying to reduce supply and utility costs and student services, improve management efficiency and keep vacant positions unfilled.
At the other community colleges, officials report:
>> Leeward Community College's enrollment is up to about 6,200 -- 300 or 400 more than last year, but Chancellor Mark Silliman said the community college, with $332,000 in budget restrictions and assessments, projected cutting 250 classes of 1,600 offered this academic year. Adjustments were made to cut about 35 this fall, but the challenge will be in the spring, he said.
"Obviously, we're not going to be cutting 250 classes, but ... it does force us to be a little bit more judicious in how we run our schedule."
>> Kapiolani Community College's enrollment this fall is the highest ever, with 7,650 students, an increase of about 400 to 450 over the past year. Chancellor John Morton said it also has more than $400,000 in spending restrictions and about $300,000 in collective-bargaining costs, he said.
Rather than cutting classes, which also reduces tuition revenue, Morton said the faculty has agreed to increase some class sizes. They are also looking at consolidating some sections and other budget-cutting measures, such as shutting down the campus at 7:30 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. to save on utility costs, he said.
>> Windward Community College's enrollment is the highest in 12 years with more than 1,800 students, and it might hit 1,900. Pang said Windward is looking tentatively at cutting 25 classes in the spring out of 200 classes because of a $148,000 budget restriction.
>> Honolulu Community College, with a $351,000 spending restriction, cut 40 classes this semester and is looking at cutting at least another 40 next semester. Pedersen said the community college will have to come up with an additional $200,000 for extra instructional time due to a reduced faculty workload provision.
"Every campus is hit. All these bills are coming due," he said.
"Basically, I'm out of space for apprenticeships, and on top of all the other cuts, I'm now $140,000 short in being able to pay for apprentices," Pedersen said.
Pedersen said he will not be able to keep all the apprentice classes going in the spring without more income. The state legally has responsibility to train apprentices for construction trades under the community college act, he said.
It is a question of "expansion without money," he said, stressing that not doing it "is unacceptable" at a time when the state is preparing for a construction boom. "We're really a work-force development engine for the state with 23 technical training programs."
Contractors pay apprentices 35 cents an hour for tuition-training, and the college pays trainers $29.50 an hour.
Pedersen said military contractors with the college estimate they are short 2,500 to 5,000 workers for pending projects. If the college cannot train enough people for the jobs, they will have to be filled from the mainland, he pointed out.
"The university has to get together with the powers that be. How are we going to train people who are going to help create a boom in our economy?"
